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I will come around. Eventually. Right now, I’d like to just fly a bit, and not think of the things she might well have done in anticipation of us. She soared high up, then came down at a slow fall, riding the currents as they blew cold wind over the mountain. The things I love to do as a bird cannot be done in the town where we have all lived. This is a freedom I’ve not had since we all left here. I can be my original size and not be noticed, but this, right here, this is what I have so enjoyed.
The two of them flew for what seemed like days. She knew it had been hours since she joined him—the sun setting over the water was a clear sign they’d been out here for so long. Duncan, as he asked her to call him, didn’t bring up the fact she was his mate. Thankful for that reprieve, she told him about herself in bits and pieces, as he did the same for her. It was, she supposed, like what had been planned for so long was finally paying off. Or something akin to that.
When they finally landed in the back land of the castle, she shifted to herself almost before touching the earth. Duncan had a bit more trouble with it. Landing, he told her, was a great deal harder than he thought it would be.
It took him three tries to land and shift. The first time he was still much too high to do it and nearly splattered himself all over the snow covered lawn. The second time was much funnier, as he was only partially shifted as he landed. The weight of the large bird on his human legs had her literally rolling in the cold grass as he tried the third time and made it stick.
She was still enjoying herself when he came to stand over her. Putting out his hand to help her up, Jude took it as if he’d been helping her all her life. The magic between them touched her in a way nothing had ever done before.
“I touched your skin earlier and was afraid I’d been wrong about you.” She asked him what he meant. “I don’t know exactly what I thought, to be honest with you, but I wondered where the punch to my system was. Now, now that we’re working on a relationship, I felt it. Did you?”
“Yes. I think I was too afraid to feel much of anything the first time.” He didn’t let go of her hand, and Jude found she was all right with that—for now. “I’m nervous now too. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with having you as a mate. It’s very strange to me.”
“Me too. And I’ve known about it for some time.” Jude nodded. “There is some food left for us. I’m afraid we’ve missed dinner with everyone.”
Entering the castle from the rear, Jude had a thought. She’d never been in this part of the castle before. Her only knowledge was of the turrets and the perches Dante had had made for them. Walking into the kitchen, it made her laugh. It was nothing but a kitchen like the one she had in her home now. Telling Duncan her thoughts, she sat down to enjoy a sandwich with him. It was a start, she thought. To what? Well, she thought, time would tell.
~*~
“Who is this again?” Charlie thought he heard someone talking, but right now, all he could hear was static. He hated telephones as much now as he had when the suckers first came out. “Is there anyone there?”
“Grandda?” He nearly fell back when the voice on the other end came through as clear as day. “Grandda? This is Duncan. I’m Dante’s son. I was wondering if I could see you.”
“Who is this again?” The laughter had him closing his eyes for just a moment. His entire life seemed to pass right before his closed eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been tricked like this before. You’re good, I’ll tell you that. But I’m not falling for—”
“I’m standing at the front door. This isn’t a trick, and if you’d allow me to come in, you’ll never have to worry about collection men again. Nor anything if you’d allow me to take care of you and Grandma. You’ve no idea how hard I’ve been looking for you. Mom came to me and told me you were at the cottage. However, when I went there, the place was gone. I’m guessing time took its toll on it. I need to see you, Grandda.” With the phone still in his hand, he made his way to the door. It wasn’t like it was a long walk—the place they’d been staying at was smaller than some bathrooms he’d been in. “If you open the door, I can help you. I could, I suppose, tell you some things about Mom. Like she was the greatest queen that ever lived. That she was well loved by those around her. She was the greatest mother of all, keeping me safe when others would have kidnapped me to—”
Charlie opened the door. The man standing on the other side didn’t move to come into the home he and his missus had been in for the last few years. Nor did he rush him, which was what others had done, trying their best to get something from him to pay down some of the bills the two of them had acquired. He reached for his mate, asking her to come to him.
“Charlie, what are you doing standing there with the door wide open? Are you inviting every bill—? Oh my.” He would trust her judgment on this predicament he was currently in. More than anything he’d ever wanted, Charlie wanted this young looking man to be his grandson. Watching her, tearing his eyes from the face he’d thought about for all his life, he watched his lady wife. “Oh my. Duncan? Is it really you?”
“Yes, Grandma, it’s really me. I’ve come to take you home with me.” Sara started sobbing then. The years of waiting, of needing someone to say those words to them, had been all they’d wanted. A ghost, he supposed, from their past to come and see them. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come here sooner. I didn’t know, you see. Mother came to see me a few nights ago and—”
He couldn’t wait any longer to have him in his arms. Dragging him to his body, Charlie hugged the boy as tightly as he could manage. He was there—his grandson. Duncan then pulled Sara to
him, and the three of them stood there, babbling and bubbling over with tears as their words fell all over each other.
Charlie pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and rubbed it over his face. He’d always been a proud man, but right now, he just didn’t care who saw him sobbing over this. Pulling Duncan all the way into the house, he noticed the beauty standing just outside the door. He put out his hand to pull her in, too, when she spoke to him.
“I loved your daughter more than I ever did anything in my life. I wanted you to know that.” Charlie asked her who she might be. “I’m Jude. Judith Castle. I was one of her birds.”
Charlie remembered the birds. The things Dante told him about how they’d saved the castle. He wasn’t sure what to say to her. Charlie was aware of them, but not much more. He looked at Duncan when he said her name.
“This is my mate. Judith and I are to be wed—when she says yes, that is. Mom told me long ago I’d be mated to one of her birds. We’re just getting to know each other.” Charlie asked her if she’d come into the house. “She thinks we should be alone. To catch up on our lives. I could only convince her to come with me, but nothing more.”
“Young lady, if you’re going to be wedded to my grandson, you’re going to be my granddaughter. So you get your bottom in here now so that I can get me a big hug from you. It’s been much too— I’ve not hugged anyone but my missus here in— I sure would appreciate it if you’d come on here and hug this old man. I’m going to get them from the two of you as much as I can from now on.” She did as he wanted and hugged him. It occurred to him that she was a delicate little thing, and he pulled back to look at her. “My goodness. You sure are a pretty little bit, aren’t you?”
“Thank you.”
Sara hugged her next, telling her how glad she was to have met her.
While they were standing there, the door still wide open, a man darkened the doorway. Charlie was embarrassed to have him coming around on a day like this one. This wasn’t the time for him to be collecting. Not that he had anything to pay him with anyway. However, before he could open his mouth to run the man off, Judith spoke.
“If you have anything to say to Mr. or Mrs. Beswick, you’ll contact their attorney. As of this morning, all their money issues have been taken care of.” The man, he didn’t know his name, snickered. “Would you like to be laughing out the other side of your face, Mr. Tumble? I’ll gladly fix it so you never laugh again without thinking about what I have done to you. I’m not one to fuck with. You’ll come to realize that if you don’t go away.”
“How did you take care of your money issues, Mr. Beswick? Last I heard, just yesterday, as a matter of fact, you didn’t have a pot to piss in.”
Charlie didn’t get a chance to speak to Judith when she told him she was sorry. The movement was nearly too fast for him to have seen properly. The man and his briefcase were just simply gone. Charlie looked at Judith.
